The week that’s just gone was half term here, I always think I’m going to get a lot done in the holidays and then mentally berate myself when I haven’t. I see big blocks of time and conjure them full of art making and imagine all the finished work I will have made by the end of the week. It never works like that – I set the day aside for painting or printmaking, that is creating things which will be finished, exhibit-able things (wherein lies the problem), but its the holiday, I have more time, I take a little longer to do my usual tasks then go to my workroom and decide I’ll make a cup of tea, I’ve made the tea and then remember I didn’t put the dates in my diary from yesterday’s email, I open my inbox…. a day of productive activity becomes a day of petty distractions.
The two problems I have here are failing to remind myself that actually I work better in little chunks of time, but more importantly how I prioritise different sorts of art activity. Because I have exhibitions approaching I’ve convinced myself that every moment must be spent on making work that can go on walls. But achieving quality or at the very least some sense of satisfactory completeness within my work can only come from time spent playing, daydreaming and trying.
